Skid steer loaders are highly maneuverable compact work machines. These machines are commonly used in a variety of applications ranging from asphalt milling to earth moving, depending on the job and type of attachment being utilized. One particular capability for which the skid steer loaders are utilized is gathering materials, moving the materials, and depositing the materials in a dump truck or container.
Typically, the loaders have left and right interconnected lift arms pivotally mounted to respective tower portions of the body near the rear of the loader, and an implement, such as a bucket, is attached at the front ends of the lift arms. Hydraulic lift actuators are connected between the body and the lift arms to raise and lower the lift arms, and one or more hydraulic actuators are connected between the lift arms and the implement to tilt the implement relative to the lift arms. As the implement is lifted, these designs do not have any provision of restricting the movement of the implement in case of an error while operating the machine. In some cases, if the implement is rotated beyond a fixed angle, the implement may make contact with an operator cab of the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,356, hereinafter referred to as '356 patent, describes a front-end-loading portable power shovel. The power shovel includes a power-propellable frame and a pair of lift-arms arranged on opposite sides of the frame. The power shovel includes forward extension-arms pivotally connected to the lift-arms for up and down movement. The power shovel further includes a shovel having its rearward portion pivotally connected to the forward ends of the extension-arms, and a hydraulic cylinder-assembly operatively inter-posed between the shovel and the extension-arms. The shovel may swing about the pivotal connection with the extension-arms by an obtuse angle. There is no arrangement provided to prevent the shovel from colliding with the operator cab if erroneously operated.
Hence there is a need for an improved linkage assembly.